


Timeline Rectified

by changingdestiny4



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Crisis on Infinite Earths (CW DC TV Universe), Characters watching Arrow, Correcting The Timelime, Developing Friendships, F/F, F/M, Justice League (mentioned) - Freeform, Making things right, Multi, The Future Meets The Past, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22459255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/changingdestiny4/pseuds/changingdestiny4
Summary: In 2040, Mia Queen, her brother William, and their close friends and fellow heroes Connor Hawke and Zoe Ramirez gather together their loved ones and allies from the past in order for them to witness Oliver's 5 year crucible towards becoming the Arrow and then the first two years of his crusade.
Relationships: Connor Hawke/Mia Smoak, John Diggle/Lyla Michaels, Laurel Lance/Tommy Merlyn, Nyssa al Ghul/Sara Lance/Oliver Queen, Roy Harper/Thea Queen
Comments: 53
Kudos: 73





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, how are you? From time to time in my life I've toyed with this idea but never committed to it. But now, after so long, I've finally decided to start my own Watching Arrow" fic. It will consist, and start, with all of the flashbacks followed by the first two seasons. 
> 
> The transcripts for the flashbacks will be the ones from Bl4ckhunter's fic entitled "The Journey of the Arrow", which I'll be using with his permission.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy my take on this genre.

_Year: 2040_

_Location: Hall Of Justice (Justice League Headquarters)_

_Setting: League Roundtable_

Seated at the roundtable were Mia Queen, her half-brother William, her boyfriend Conner Hawk, who was Diggle and Lyla's adopted son, and her good friend Zoe Ramirez, the daughter of legendary hero Rene Ramirez, aka Wilddog. They were currently in the middle of discussing their latest operation, but one that was very unusual for them compared to their last operations. For them however, it was the most important operation of all and affected not only their city's future, but the past as well.

"Are you certain that this is a good idea Mia?", Conner asked his girlfriend, still a little apprehensive as to the ramifications of what they'd planned and were about to do.

"He has a point sis. As much as I want things to be better for all of us and for this city, is this something we should truly risk doing? After all, isn't messing with the past something that Uncle Barry has warned us about?", William added, also a little concerned though he would ultimately support his sister in this endeavor, knowing how much it meant to her. Heck, it meant a lot to him.

"Of course I'm certain guys. In case you haven't noticed, this future we're living in is crappy and all of us deserve better", Mia answered emphatically, looking at the two men she cared for in different ways. "Besides, all of us one month ago were already made aware of the fact that none of this was supposed to happen anyway in that this is not even the correct timeline and all we need to do is to correct one particular event in the past, the major event we discussed, in order for the timeline to reset back to its original flow. The reason things even went the wrong way is because of Thawne causing a ripple effect when he first murdered Uncle Barry's mom and speaking of the latter, he's the one, along with the rest of the League, who gave his consent for our current endeavor, understanding that we're only reversing things back to the way they were intended to be."

"I fully concur with Mia guys", Zoe added seriously from where she sat. "None of what we went through, or what our parents and their loved ones and allies, went through, should've happened and we've been given a chance by our anonymous informant to set things right. And not only their histories and lives but also their reputations. With what we've planned, not only will we provide them and ourselves with a better future but will hopefully also help them make better choices in their lives so that our enemies won't use the history books to sully their names."

Conner sighed, and then nodded.

"You're right, both of you. This is a tremendous and unique opportunity to better our lives and avoid the mistakes of the past. Plus this is an extraordinary situation since we'll be literally resetting a timeline that actually needs to be reset, which in turn will transform all of our lives for the better. I just wanted to ensure, for all of our peace of mine, that we're all still on the same page here and that this is something we're certain we need to do."

Mia in response to her boyfriend's words reached forward and took his hand in hers.

"I understand Conner, and it's alright to be a little apprehensive. I am as well, and no doubt along with everyone else in this room. But I'm also just as certain that we would not be doing any of this if we had any other choice", she said to him softly while giving his hand a gentle squeeze. He in turn smiled at her and gently squeezed her hand as well. After a moment, William broke the silence.

I guess it's settled then. And so are we ready to proceed sis?"

Mia nodded confidently.

"We are indeed, and let us begin now", she said to him and then, after taking a deep breath to sooth her nerves, summoned their good friend Dante Huang-Ramon, the son of the semi-retired Cisco Ramon, formerly Vibe, and his romantic partner Kamilla Huang. Dante was named in honor of his uncle and Cisco's brother and was the Vibe of this time period, having inherited his father's powers. After a little while, the 19 year old young man appeared before them.

"It's time Dante. Please commence with your given instructions", Mia said to him seriously, to which Dante grinned.

"You've got it boss", he answered in the affirmative and with a big smile, and then turned, leaving the room, and Dante Jr. having picked up a device like the one the late Captain Hunter had used to teleport the Legends when he first recruited them so many years ago, and used it to transport himself to the distant past in order to gather together everyone of absolute importance to his friends current endeavor. And back at the Hall Of Justice, Mia, William, Conner, and Zoe prepared themselves to greet their soon to be guests while hoping that this new mission they'd undertaken would be successful.

**To Be Continued**


	2. The Gathering

_Year: 2012_

At the Queen Mansion, Moira Queen was currently in the middle of having a heated discussion with her 17 year old daughter Thea about the latter's latest transgression. This time it involved the mother having discovered a packet of ecstasy underneath her wayward daughter's pillow inside of the latter's bedroom. Thea on her part was being dismissive and rude while Moira was trying to keep herself from losing her patience with her when Dante Jr., having appeared behind them and without being seen, activated his device and engulfed the two women in a bright flash of light.

After he did what he had to do there, Dante Jr. next used his Vibe powers to transport himself to China, where Oliver Queen, having been away from home for 5 years, ostensibly lost on an island in the middle of the North China Sea until he was rescued by Chinese fishermen in the area, was currently working to clear things up with the local Chinese authorities. After he'd finished, and with their help, he contacted the Queen Consolidated Subsidiary in the country arranging transportation back home. As soon as that was settled and Oliver was on his way to access it, Dante Jr. stepped before him, adapting a battle stance that Mia had taught him, deliberately challenging the man before him. Oliver suddenly went on the defensive, not knowing who this was but unwilling to back down from a challenge and feeling a need to contain him if he was a threat to the innocent civilians around them.

All of a sudden, the young man turned and ran into the other direction, causing Oliver to growl in annoyance since he did not want to miss his flight home but still needed to know the other man's intentions, causing him to run after him. Dante Jr. on his part led Oliver into an abandoned alley and then turned to face him once more. Oliver stared at him with a stern expression upon his face.

"Who are you?! What do you want?!", he demanded, wanting answers. Dante Jr., having been briefed by Mia and the history books as to how Oliver operated and in turn wanting to keep the other man from attacking him while also wanting to avoid wasting precious time, quickly launched a Vibe from his right hand, slamming the future archer against the wall beside them, slightly disorienting him.

"I'm sorry Mr. Queen, I really am, but I'm doing this for your own good", he regretfully said to the other man, and then immediately whipped out his device and Oliver at that moment found himself surrounded by a bright beam of light, transporting him from away from where he was at that moment.

Dante Jr. next transported himself to somewhere in Europe and made his way to a League Of Assassins safe house that Sara Lance and Nyssa A'l Ghul, daughter of Ra's A'l Ghul who was the leader of the League, were currently using as their base of operations. They'd been dispatched by Nyssa's father to ascertain the location of a major HIVE base in the area and then to relay its coordinates with him so that he could send a strike team which Sara and Nyssa would use to destroy it. The two women were currently standing outside discussing their plans when Nyssa impulsively pulled Sara forward and engulfed her in a hot and deep lip lock which Sara, while surprised, quickly reciprocated.

Dante Jr. took a moment to appreciate the site, smirking to himself, and then approached them.

"Sara Lance and Nyssa A'l Ghul I presume?", he addressed them, causing them to quickly pull apart and adapt their own battle stance, Nyssa on her part pointing a sword straight at him.

"Who are you!? Are you with HIVE!?", she demanded to know, while also annoyed that this bold man had the audacity to interrupt her kiss with her beloved, which they had both been enjoying. "Speak now before I cut out your tongue!"

Dante Jr. gulped, a little intimidated by these two women before him, but unwilling to let it distract him from his mission. Deciding not to waste time, he quickly used his device to capture them in the beam of light and also transported them to where they needed to be.

After that was done, Dante Jr. returned to Star City and went inside the apartment of attorney Laurel Lance, Sara's sister, who was currently finishing up lunch from _Big Belly Burger_ with her close friend, and sometimes friends with benefits, Tommy Merlyn, the latter being Oliver's best friend. As soon as they were through, and while in the middle of chatting and laughing alongside some mutual flirting, the young Vibe quietly approached them and, before they could see him and react, had them transported to the same location where he'd sent the others.

He next went to the home of Detective Quentin Lance of the SCPD, Laurel and Sara's father, and observed the older man about to drink another bottle of beer while another empty bottle stood beside him. Dante Jr. shook his head in dismay, remembering the stories about his alcoholism from the history books and hoping that this would be another problem that Mia's plan would fix. He stepped forward and, without preamble, had Quentin transported to where he also needed to be.

Finally, Dante Jr. found and located John Diggle, who was in the bodyguard business, Felicity Smoak, an I.T. specialist at Queen Consolidated, Lyla Michaels, second in command of the U.S. government agency ARGUS and Diggle's ex-wife, and Roy Harper, a 21 year old resident of the Glades, Star City's, then Starling City, poorest district, and used his device to send them to where he'd sent the others he'd transported, which was in the future.

His work now completed in this decade, he made his way back to the future where Mia, her brother and their friends, and all of their guests he'd just picked up were waiting, he himself eager to get this show on the road.

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to have the meeting between the guests and Mia happen in this chapter, but the gathering of the viewers ended up going longer than I intended and so I decided it would be better for the arrival to be in the next chapter.
> 
> In regards to the viewers, I'd like to ask all of you if I should include Rene Ramirez as well or only use the current viewers. I ask since I want Rene to still join the team and also since Zoe, his daughter, is one of the recruiters, but some of you might only prefer the major characters before Rene learning about Oliver's past and becoming part of this network the viewers will create with Oliver after they are returned to the past.
> 
> Therefore, I will go with the majority of reviews who are either for or against Rene becoming part of the viewing audience.
> 
> On an unrelated note, I learned recently, to my surprise, that Amell was actually angry about the execution of his first death scene during "Hour One", at least in regards to how it was filmed and the roles given to Caity and Gustin during it. He even cursed about it.
> 
> I'll write and post the next chapter after reading your decision regarding Rene.


	3. Arrivals & Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. After having been gone from this story for so long, I'm back with a new chapter. And I've decided to add both Rene Ramirez, per requests from many, and Slade Wilson himself, to the viewing audiences and have slightly edited the preceding chapter for that purpose in regards to Rene. And here we go.

_Year: 2040_

_Location: Hall Of Justice [Justice League Headquarters]_

_Setting: League Auditorium_

Next thing they knew, everyone whom Dante Jr. had transported found themselves lying on their backs and feeling quite disoriented while taking a few moments to rub their eyes. After regaining their bearings, they groaned and stretched a bit as they began lifting themselves up and getting onto their feet. After doing so, they began taking in their surroundings, wondering where they were.

"Mom, where on Earth are we?", Thea asked her mom timidly, wondering what in the world had just happened to them all.

"I honestly don't know sweetie, but I wish I did", Moira answered worriedly while pulling her slightly nervous daughter into her arms in an attempt to comfort her, the young woman responding by leaning into her mother's embrace. Meanwhile Oliver was looking around and practicing what Slade, Waller, and Talia had each taught him about accessing his surroundings when he suddenly, and to his shock, saw Sara gazing at him intensely while another raven haired woman stood right next to her.

"Ollie?", she asked her close friend and former lover in shock, not having expected to ever see him again.

"Sara?", he whispered breathlessly, having believed she was dead all of this time and trying to understand. "W..w..hat? I, I mean h..h..how?"

At that moment, and both of them suddenly overcome with emotion while foregoing their emotional discipline, Sara surged forward and leapt into Oliver's arms, embracing him tightly while he returned said embrace, the two of them weeping in each other's arms. Nyssa on her part looked on as her heart constricted with a feeling of jealousy. She had known about her beloved's history with Oliver due to what the latter had shared with her, and while she did not doubt that the blonde loved her deeply, she could still see the intense bond between Sara and Oliver as they held each other. For the first time in her life, the young heiress to the League could not help but feel insecure in her relationship.

After a brief time, Oliver lifted up his head and saw his mother and sister, who were staring at both him and Sara in shock like they had towards each other, though Moira wasn't as shocked as her daughter since she'd already spoken with Oliver on the phone much earlier when he'd phoned to let her know he was still alive and returning home. Despite having heard his voice, it was another thing for her to see her son in the flesh and standing before her and nor had she expected their first meeting since his return to be under these circumstances.

"Oliver?", she asked hesitantly as she took a tentative step towards him while Thea remained standing where she was, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that her big brother was here with them. Moira on her part had meant to tell Thea about the phone call and his return but had forgotten due to having to confront her over her latest infraction.

Oliver on his part gave his mother a soft smile and a gentle nod.

"Mom", he responded in a near whisper, but Moira heard it loud and clear and it was enough to convince her that it was indeed him. Emotion then overcame her as she hurried forward and Oliver on his part took her in his arms.

"My boy, my beautiful boy", she spoke as she wept while gently stroking his hair in a way that only a mother could. After some time, they extracted themselves from their embrace and then Oliver turned his attention fully towards Thea, who now had tears glistening in her eyes.

"Ollie?", she asked timidly, and with a gentle nod from him, her walls broke down completely and she was the next person to rush forward and jumped on him, her legs bent backwards as she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly.

"I knew it, I knew you were alive", the 17 year old young woman gushed happily as she held onto her brother.

"You were with me the whole time", Oliver responded warmly to her words as he held his baby sister. As the Queen family enjoyed their reunion, another reunion was unfolding between another family.

"Sara?", Laurel asked stunned while Quentin's hoarsely breathed out, "Baby girl?" was heard right afterwards, the father and daughter duo trying to make sense of their lost daughter and sister respectively standing right before them. Sara responded with a small smile while nodding eagerly and emotionally.

"It's me guys", she answered them while trying yet failing not to cry as she kept wiping her eyes. The three of them then moved towards each other and engulfed each other in a warm embrace, holding each other tight while shedding tears. Shortly afterwards, Quentin lifted up his head and was immediately filled with rage upon seeing Oliver. He immediately stepped away from his family and charged towards the younger man.

"You!", he growled, his eyes shining with fury. "Because of you my baby girl has been missing for five years, my other daughter was left heartbroken for many reasons, reasons for which I'm certain you can imagine you scumbag, and both of us were left within our own hell and grieving her in a state of endless torture. And now you dare return and show your face to us you sorry a** punk?!"

The furious detective then swung his arm while Oliver, deliberately making no attempt to stop the incoming punch, allowed it to hit his face. He honestly could not blame the other man's anger or his actions since he understood, with shame, that his own actions were what mainly contributed to the pain and loss the Lances had been forced to go through and if this was what Quentin thought would help him, then he would let him have his pound of flesh.

Following the first strike, which hurt Quentin's hand slightly, he then moved to slug him once more when his hand was caught midair and held in a near vice like grip. Turning to see who had dared interrupt him, he turned his head and saw that the source of the grip was a young blonde haired woman with steely eyes that started intently into his.

"All right that's enough. I understand why you're so angry at Oliver and believe me when I say that I fully sympathize", the woman began gently but firmly. "But I did not bring you here, or anyone else in this room, to start fighting each other and I'd like to kindly ask you to please refrain from this sort of outburst again or I will be forced to take certain measures. Am I clear?!"

Quentin on his part wanted to angrily retort at the other woman but the look in her eyes told him that it would be unwise to test her patience. And so with an aggravated sigh, he reluctantly put his arm down and backed away while she in turn released him. The others in the room however all turned their gazes towards her over what she'd just said about having brought them all here.

"Wait a minute miss. Are you saying that you're responsible for why we're all here?", Diggle was the first one to speak up and ask, voicing everyone else's thoughts, followed by Roy asking in a follow up, "And if so, why have you even done this? And I mean no offence lady, but I don't know any of these people and I doubt they know me or anyone else in this room". Almost all of the other guests nodded in agreement, almost because some of them, such as the Queens, the Lances, and Tommy all knew each other personally of course.

The woman nodded her head in response to Diggle's question and moved to answer it along with Roy's question as well.

"Yep, that would be me, and in case any of you are wondering, my name is Mia. As for the reason I've done so, it's because due to past events, this current timeline is royally screwed up from what It was meant to be and I and my team wish to course correct it back to its true form", she explained matter of factly to her curious guests, leaving them with more questions than answers, particularly in her reference to the timeline.

"Wait a minute. What do you mean when you say 'the current timeline', and who's your team?", Tommy asked her, trying to make sense of her words.

"To answer your question, I must first explain to you, and to all of you, that none of you are in the year I extracted you from. In fact, all of you are currently in the year 2040", she explained, causing most of those present to voice exclamations of disbelief upon hearing this, Rene's voice being the loudest, and then continued. "And before any of you protest against this info, let me explain that in this time period, technology has become so incredibly advanced that time travel is indeed, possible and the young man I had transport you here? His name is Dante Jr. and his device, the one that surrounded each of you with a sort of blinding light, is what enabled him to transport you from your time to ours. It was also once used by the late legendary time traveler Rip Hunter.

"As for this timeline being incorrect, things had transpired in an entirely different way but due to certain events in the past, albeit not tied to you directly, those events caused a ripple effect which in turn led to a significant change in history that set everything off course. By bringing all of you here, my goal is to prevent that moment from happening. However instead of just telling you about it, you also need to see it for yourselves and that's why my team and I have decided to show you the string of events over the next two years since it's within that time frame the particular event I'm referring to transpires."

Following her explanation, the guests found themselves all intrigued. Most of them still had doubts however that they were actually in the future and all of this talk about timelines and ripple effects was difficult for them to grasp, but since they were apparently not being returned home anytime soon, they decided to go along with whatever their host's plans were, despite how crazy this sounded.

"In addition, I'm also using this opportunity to share with you the journey of one man, one in particular among you, as he goes on to become one of the greatest and most legendary heroes ever and that's what you'll also be watching", Mia added. "And all of you are a significant part of this man's journey and a vital part of your city's future and therefore need to be prepared in order to help him accomplish his mission. And that's why in addition to seeing the events over the next two years, you'll also first be seeing the past of this man as he was forged into the hero he's destined to become. Having said that, I think that all of you should make your introductions to each other now in order to create a sense of familiarity since you'll all be sharing this experience together."

Following her words, everyone present, not finding any issue with that and especially since they were all going to be there together and therefore might as well get to know each other, went ahead and did exactly that, Oliver being the first one to speak.

"Oliver Queen, billionaire playboy and former castaway", he shared with everyone while frowning at Mia's words and having a sneaking suspicion as to the future hero she was referring to.

"Moira Queen, Oliver and Thea's mother and businesswoman", Moira was the next one to share.

"Thea Queen, trust fund princess", she answered a bit cheekily to which her mother frowned in mild disapproval but was inwardly amused since it was kind of accurate.

"Quentin Lance, SCPD detective", he gruffly said to them all.

"Laurel Lance, attorney at CNRI", she revealed.

"Sara Lance, their daughter and sister respectively and former castaway as well", she explained, purposefully avoiding the fact she was also an assassin.

"Tommy Merlyn, billionaire playboy", he said with a grin.

"John Diggle, former Special Forces and now private security", he said.

"Felicity Smoak, MIT class of 1980 and IT specialist at _Queen Consolidated_ ", she shared while waving her hand in a tick tok move.

"I am Nyssa, daughter of Ra's A'l Ghul, heir to the demon", Nyssa stated proudly while lifting her chin up high, leaving everyone except Oliver and Moira curious as to who her father was, though it caused Oliver to have a slight shiver and feeling especially worried regarding Sara's possible involvement since she was clearly connected to Nyssa in some way. He even desperately hoped that she hadn't joined the League and dreaded to think as to what that could mean.

"Roy Harper, Glades resident", the young man with the red hoodie introduced himself next.

"Lyla Michaels, deputy director of A.R.G.U.S.", she said while Oliver was the only one to react at the name and Diggle did not show any surprise about this, the former due to experience with that organization and the latter since he already knew of her occupation.

"Rene Ramirez, former Navy SEAL, dishonorably discharged, and I have no idea as to what the hell I'm doing here", he being the final one to introduce himself. Mia nodded.

"Alrighty then, and with that out of the way, I'm now going to assign each of you to our seats within this auditorium and the seating arrangements are non-negotiable. And now if you all would?"

She said, and then led them to the seats each person would occupy. She had Oliver, Sara, and Nyssa sit in the front row with Oliver and Nyssa sitting on the right and the left of Sara respectively. Placed Laurel and Tommy right next to each other respectively on the second row, sat Moira, Thea, and Roy together on the third row, Moira on Thea's left and Roy on her right, and finally sat Quentin, Diggle, Lyla, Felicity, and Rene all together on the fourth row.

Afterwards Mia turned and addressed everyone once more.

"Now that you're all seated, I'd like to let you know that if you need anything, such as refreshments, bathroom breaks, or anything else, any one of you may press the green button on your respective arm rests and and it will send my team and myself a signal during which one of us will come and take care of it. And now, on with the show.

"Oh, and if any of you are worried about the passage of time in the year you were extracted from, don't. After this is all said and done, you will all be transported back to the exact same moment before I had you brought here."

She then exited the room and went to the monitoring area where her friends were and William uploaded the first set of memories for their guests to watch. As for the guests themselves, they settled down and watched as the screen above them flickered and then began displaying said memories.

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had originally intended to add Slade, but had forgotten to do so and ended up writing myself into a corner. And so I've decided to wait for another chapter to somehow introduce him. Which means that the wait for him will be longer.
> 
> Regarding Quentin's attitude, I wanted to capture his S1 self and use it to present a hopefully realistic picture as to his emotions towards Oliver and how he might've confronted Oliver directly the first time and even if he'd known Sara was alive and standing before him. And I can see Oliver taking it since he had blamed himself a lot over Sara's disappearance, even though she made the decision to get on the gambit with him.
> 
> I'd also like to address those who might feel that certain characters, namely Diggle, Felicity, and even Rene, and perhaps Thea, Laurel, and Tommy as well, don't deserve to be a part of the viewing audience since the writers screwed up by making them self-righteous, arrogant, and hypocritical, and in turn unlikable, for a time. Or that if they were to see Oliver's so called "confession" that he likes killing, even though I'll mainly be showing only the first two years of his present day mission after the five years away, then they might eagerly eat up that false confession.
> 
> The versions of those characters here have been taken from the time period before they became the annoying characters we remember, for a time. And so they're not the same people that they sadly became, barring Felicity's past mistakes in college. And by watching themselves and also being warned by their hosts regarding their bad choices, it should cause them to make better choices in their lives.
> 
> While I know this does not always work, I like to believe that if a person has the opportunity to see themselves doing something wrong or behaving terribly, and before they do so, then it can serve as a wakeup call and especially if seeing themselves in such an unlikable manner makes them feel embarrassed and ashamed. And that's what I'm aiming for.
> 
> Plus with them all watching the first two years of Oliver's mission in the present, seeing the times he used lethal force would, in my personal opinion, plant the foundation of the true belief that he's not a monster and so would find the confession to be nonsense. And except for those in life who stubbornly don't want to admit the truth, it's hard to deny said truth when it's front and center and without anything to counter it.
> 
> I also believe that, as an author, being fair to a character should be about accepting the truth of what canon presents them as within each season, acknowledging their good and bad sides, except for when canon is inconsistent or goes against its pre-established logic like Oliver liking killing or Sara preferring girls as though she never had feelings for Oliver.
> 
> I don't know when I'll have another chapter ready but I'll see how it goes.
> 
> Have a blessed day.


	4. Gambit Tragedy & Lian Yu Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again everyone. A whole lot of time has passed once more has it not? And I have no excuse for it. But now I’m back with a new chapter and now we finally get this show on the road in regards to the characters watching their own future adventures.

_Year: 2040_

_Location: Hall Of Justice [Justice League Headquarters]_

_Setting: League Auditorium_

**The Queen’s Gambit sailed through the storm in the sea as one of the crewmen entered, recommending to head back due to the possible danger, along with the storm being Category 2. Robert agreed, intending to form a crew before Oliver entered, asking if they were in trouble, before Sara, wearing nothing but a nightrobe and her undergarments, appeared, teasing Oliver as he ordered her to return back to the bedroom.**

Moira and Thea’s eyes moistened with tears as they saw Robert again and for the first time in 5 years, the pang of sadness regarding his loss stabbing their hearts as they held each other close, attempting to comfort each other, though Thea began to cry harder as Moira rubbed her back soothingly.

Oliver on his part looked down somberly while Sara moved to wrap her arm around his shoulder and Oliver leaned into her, silently thanking her for her support. Nyssa watched the interaction between them but could not take it upon herself to feel jealous since she knew that her girlfriend was only comforting the man sitting with them.

**Oliver seemed to be smiling happy before Robert warned him that he was doing with the younger sister of his girlfriend, cheating on her like that, was not going to end well for either of the youngsters.**

“And he was right. It did not end well for any of us Oliver since you not only broke my heart due to your actions but caused me to be bereaved of my sister for the last five years!!”, Laurel spoke up with anger and arms crossed. “And you got both of yourselves stuck in another location for five years and without a way back home. So yeah. Things went horribly for all three of us didn’t they!?”

Oliver and Sara bowed their heads in shame upon hearing her words, knowing that she was right. Meanwhile the memory continued.

**Oliver and Sara were in the bedroom, drinking wine as they teased each other, while Oliver sat next to Sara in bed as the young Lance said that Laurel was going to kill her but Oliver assured her that Laurel would never find out.**

Quentin, Moira, Theo, and Nyssa all cringed and turned their heads away upon that scene, the first three because they had no interest in seeing their loved ones in such a compromising position, Thea especially in regards to not wanting to witness her brother’s sex life (no siree she thought to herself). As for Nyssa, and while she knew that they obviously were not together now, but seeing her beloved and the latter’s old boyfriend together caused her heart to ache and especially since it was still apparent that they still cared about each other deeply even now.

For Laurel however, she was filled with even more anger.

“Seriously guys!! Why would either of you do this to me? What did I do to either of you to warrant this betrayal? I can’t completely blame you Sara since it’s clear that any girl cannot help but fall under his spell like I did”, she spoke up once more, her voice filled with not only anger but also deep sadness. “But she was my sister Oliver. And I couldn’t be angry because she was dead. I couldn’t grieve because I was so angry and that’s what happens when a sister dies while screwing said sister’s boyfriend. We even buried an empty coffin since there was no body.”

Oliver at that moment then turned in his seat and looked up at Laurel, as she stared down at him with great emotion, as though she was trying to bold herself back from crying.

“I’m truly sorry for what I did to you, and how I hurt you. What I did was a terrible thing to do to you and you absolutely did not deserve it”, he said to her softly and with deep remorse in his eyes. “I won’t ask for your forgiveness because I know I don’t deserve it. But I promise to do all I can to make things right between us and regardless of where we end up.

“But I promise I’m no longer that immature and out of control playboy I once was and again, I am truly and deeply sorry for my actions and the pain they caused towards you and your family. But please don’t blame Sara for it. I’m the one at fault for seducing her and taking advantage of her and the blame lies on me solely….”

“Cut the crap Ollie!! I can speak for myself and it was my fault as much as yours”, Sara immediately interrupted him, feeling highly annoyed at his attempt to take all the blame as though she was not a grown woman who could not make her own choices. She then turned towards her sister and father, the matter having an arm wrapped around his eldest shoulder in support while glaring at Oliver with fury, not being able to help himself.

“Oliver did not force me to do anything, despite his current attempt to take all of the blame. I knew exactly what I was doing and I did not just fall under his spell but I fell in love with him, deeply. And I knew that it would hurt you but I did it anyway”, she addressed them both and then her sister directly and with deep remorse and sorrow in her eyes.

“There’s no excuse for my behavior and if could change it, I would. But I am also so very sorry for what I did and for breaking the bond between siblings and in one of the worst ways possible. And like Ollie, I will also do all I can to make things right between us. And I won’t ask for your forgiveness either but I am just so, so, so sorry for everything.”

Laurel took a deep breath, and sighed, turning away from them as the tears began to flow harder. She could see from their eyes and hear from their words that they were truly sorry and deeply sincere in their remorse. But she still could not help her feelings of resentment towards them both, and Oliver especially despite Sara also claiming responsibility for her role in what had happened. It also hurt even more to learn that what she’d always assumed was a meaningless fling actually meant more to Sara and found herself hurt more by the emotional element than the physical act between them.

Moira also shook her head at the whole situation, her heart going out to her son and the Lance sisters over this mess but wishing that Oliver, as much as she loved him, had been much more responsible and less careless and out of control back then. She had even hoped that he would’ve matured after the near miss with the young woman Samantha Clayton, a situation she had conveniently made go away. But sadly he had not.

At least he seemed much more mature and level headed, if not clearly broken and withdrawn, but she desperately wished that he had not have gone through whatever he went through in order to reach that level.

Everyone else in attendance also had their own personal thoughts towards what they had witnessed, not approving of Oliver’s actions but also feeling sorry for him and the two sisters, in addition to them remembering their own youthful indiscretions. And Roy on his part shook his head and thought, _typical billionaire playboy_. But not surprised since to him, that’s how the rich seemed to behave in general.

From where she was, Mia had directed her brother to pause the memory play due to the conversations between her dad, Sara, and Laurel. But currently, since no one was saying any more, she gestured to him to resume the video and William obliged.

**They were about to make out on the bed, when they heard thunder, which startled Sara. Oliver assured her as they kissed before the yacht flipped over, causing for Oliver, Sara, and the furniture to fall as they hit the wall. Oliver was dazed as he got up, looking for Sara and as his vision cleared, in horror, he saw her get sucked out of the yacht as Oliver vainly attempted to reach out, while Sara screamed out Oliver’s name before the sea and the darkness consumed her.**

**A few moments later, Oliver was sucked out of the Gambit onto the open sea as well as he swam to the surface, while he attempted to vainly call out for Sara. The lifeboat, on which Robert and his bodyguard, David Hackett, neared Oliver as he got onboard. Oliver vainly screamed out Sara’s name and wanted to save her before they saw the Gambit sink to the bottom of the sea as Robert told Oliver that there was nothing they could do for her anymore.**

Almost everyone in the room, with the exception of Oliver, Sara, and Nyssa, had looks of horror upon their faces as they watched the nightmarish scene, and especially as they watched Sara being sucked from the Gambit so suddenly, terror upon her face. Though none were more horrified by that scene than Laurel and Quentin, notwithstanding the fact that she was alive and well and sitting just one aisle down below them.

At that moment, Laurel’s anger towards her sister dissipated, for the moment at least, and she was crying and trembling. Seeing this, Sara immediately got up from her seat and walking over towards her, wrapped her sister into a tight hug. Quentin also left his seat and went over to both of his daughters, taking them both into his own arms as the three Lances cried hard together.

“It’s alright guys. I’m here now. I’m alive. It’s okay”, she whispered to them soothingly, rubbing their backs gently, as she attempted to comfort them, though Laurel cried harder. And no one in the room could help but feel deep sympathy for the Lance family as their hearts went out to them, and all of the women, including Nyssa, found themselves getting misty eyed at the emotional moment current unfolding between them.

Something suddenly dawned on Laurel at that moment, and she pulled herself from the hug slightly and addressed Oliver once more.

“Oliver?”, she called out to him and he turned to face her, slightly tense. “I can see that you really tried and did do all you could to save her”, she said to him softly and with emotion. “And I just want to say thank you so much for that and it really means a lot to me. And while I still can’t forgive you at this time for cheating with her, please consider your actions in trying to rescue her to be your first step towards making things right with me and my family.”

Oliver nodded in response and with a bittersweet smile, silently accepting the olive branch she’d extended to him. He also exchanged a look with Quentin, and while there was still anger in the other man’s eyes, they softened slightly while the detective gave the younger man a nod of gratitude, to which Oliver nodded back in acceptance. After which Sara and Quentin returned to their respective seats and everyone turned back to watch the screen as the recordings resumed.

**A little while later, Robert handed Oliver a bottle of water but Hackett protested that they were wasting supplies. Robert, however wanted for his son to survive, no matter what.**

**Robert apologized for not being the man Oliver had believed him to be and that he had failed his city, much to Oliver’s confusion.**

Moira sucked in a deep breath upon hearing her late husband’s confession to Oliver, wondering and dreading as to how much he’d relayed with him. If Oliver somehow knew about the……

She swallowed hard, wondering if she would need to take any preventive measures in order to protective her remaining family and depending upon whatever else Robert might’ve shared with their son.

Her daughter however, and especially, along with the Lances and Tommy, found themselves greatly confused however and wondering as to what he’d meant in regards to failing their city.

**The lifeboat seemed to drift on the sea for hours, maybe even days, as Oliver, Robert, and Hackett were clearly tired, with Oliver sleeping and leaning onto his father, who had his arm around Oliver. Robert apologized to Oliver, pleading for him to be strong, to survive and make it back home, while Oliver was still unconscious. Robert insisted for Oliver to make Starling City better and right Robert’s wrongs. Oliver, however did not seem to pay much attention, due to exhaustion, starvation and thirst, wanting to rest as he closed his eyes.**

**Robert pushed Oliver gently away before he pulled a gun out of his jacket. Robert shot Hackett in the head as Hackett fell over, into the sea and Oliver woke up, startled, looking at his father in confusion.**

Thea gasped in horror and confusion, placing a hand over her mouth, not believing that her kind, loving father could kill a man in cold blood. Moira on her part paled, having a hard time believing this and wondering what caused him to feel he had to do that. She did remember that he’d killed before, but that had been an accident.

Tommy was also feeling shocked as he stared at the screen wide eyed, having a hard time wrapping his head around this stunning action taken by someone he considered to have been more of a father to him than his own father.

Similar emotions and feelings were also going through the minds of Laurel and Quentin, what they’d witnessed leaving them speechless. Sara however was not shocked like them because sometime after her original reunion with Oliver back on the island, he had shared with her about his father’s sacrifice. And so she knew what had happened, and what was about to happen next.

And speaking of which, but none of the others knew however, besides Oliver and Sara themselves, was that the worst was yet to come.

**Robert told Oliver to survive before putting the gun to his temple, much to Oliver’s horror and pulled the trigger, committing suicide.**

Moira gasped loudly while Thea almost screamed in shock and immediately buried her head into her mother’s shoulder, sobbing and shaking. The former responded by wrapping her arms around her daughter and held her tightly, the two women sobbing together.

Laurel and Tommy were both shocked speechless, the former’s hand on her own mouth, and tears flowing from her eyes while the latter on his part cried softly, memories flashing through his mind of all of the moments the senior Queen had been kind to him, giving him fatherly love and attention, and all of the fun times they’d shared when he’d accompanied him and Oliver to games and other stuff.

For Quentin, he was deeply saddened by what he’d witnessed and felt for the Queens, and notwithstanding his still simmering hate towards Oliver, he did not believe that the young man deserved to have witnessed that. Plus, and while he and Robert had not been that close, they had been friends of a sort and therefore he would miss the other man a lot.

In addition, he, along with Diggle, Lyla, and Rene, due to them being military veterans, were particularly familiar with the issue of suicide since they knew of the cases of fellow veterans who had taken their own lives because of issues such as PTSD. And while they knew it was not the same situation as Robert’s, they still knew how devastating that choice can be and especially for the loved ones of suicide victims who have to live with that knowledge.

And so all of them, together, were united in grief and sympathy for the Queens, bowing their heads in silent support.

Roy on his part had not known his father at much as he would’ve wanted to growing up, but he’d remembered when the latter had died tragically and how terrible it felt for him as a young child. And so he was able to empathize with the Queen siblings, looking at them with a sad smile.

Oliver was tense and his body shook slightly as he watched the screen, it bringing back a flood of emotions as his mind flashed back to those final moments of his father’s life and he was strolling to hold them in. Sara, seeing what was happening to her old flame, turned and wrapped her arms around him and held him close and Oliver leaned into her, calming down while feeling grateful for the comfort.

Regarding the loss of parents, Nyssa never knew her mother, Amina Rattko, since her father had separated them when she was a baby. But she had heard stories about her when she was a child and had desperately wished to know while more than once had wondered what her life would’ve been like if Amina had been in her life and so knew that Oliver had been blessed to have both parents in her life.

And because of that, she could understand how the loss of one of his parents could affect him deeply and could not help but feel terrible for him, especially as to him witnessing it.

Giving him a sad smile, she placed her hand upon his shoulder in support and he, while surprised by the gesture, nodded towards her in thanks. The memory then resumed.

**It all became too much to bear for Oliver as he was passing out again. When he came to, he dawn the island of Lian Yu.**

The screen then turned black as that memory finished playing, now waiting for the next set of memories. For a while, there was silence, and then they all heard Mia over the intercom in the room.

 _“For those of you who are struggling to understand Robert’s actions on the lifeboat, especially regarding Hackett’s death, I’d like to try and explain if I can”_ , Mia began, and everyone in the room turned their attention to her words.

_“You see, but as all of you saw, there was only enough supplies for one person and Robert, like any other parent, was going to put his son first. And while the morality of his actions are another matter entirely, and while I don’t completely condone his killing of Hackett, he was doing what he felt was best for his son and especially in such a desperate situation. And it ultimately boils down to the question as to how far you would go for your kids. Would you go far as to give up not only your life but even your soul for them and especially when the situation is extremely dire and you see no other way out?”_

Almost everyone listening looked down as they took in Mia’s words, finding themselves doing slot of soul searching and especially if they’d been in Robert’s shoes. Of course, Moira and Quentin knew that they’d try and move heaven and earth for their children and the former especially knew more than anyone here as to how far she’d go and considering the current actions she was taking, as dark as they were and are the behest of another, to protect her daughter.

Rene also knew he’d do all he could for his little girl and shuddered to think of what limes he’d cross if were in such an extremely desperate situation that there seemed to be no other way out. And for Nyssa, she knew that her own father was nothing like Robert and would probably sacrifice her, his flesh and blood, if he felt that it was necessary for the greater good of the League and his own self interests. But she would’ve liked if she’d had a parent who’d go above and beyond to protect and provide for them, even if she would not necessarily want them to do as Robert had done.

Mia’s voice was then heard over the intercom once more.

_“Another thing I’d like to point out is that for all Robert knew, and for all any of us knew, but Hackett himself might’ve taken the same measures but by murdering him and Oliver. And maybe he was planning on doing so and Robert sensed it. In fact, all of you probably noticed that he was holding a sharp looking knife in his hand and who knows what he could’ve been contemplating._

_“Perhaps Robert was conducting what he considered his own preemptive strike and in order to protect his son from a potential threat. And none of you have to agree with anything I’m saying. I just wanted you all to understand a bit better since I know that his actions may have come as a shock, and for some of you in particular.”_

Upon hearing that, the audiences eyes widened, Oliver’s especially, as they began to look back at what they’d watched and started to realize that Hackett had been carrying a knife on his side. And while it didn’t necessarily have to mean anything, they did remember how he was quick to object regarding Robert putting his son first.

So could he have possibly been considering turning on the father and son duo in order to save himself? After all, you never know what anyone would do in a desperate situation and it especially depends upon what kind of person they are in their heart.

At that moment, Oliver suddenly wondered if his father may have very well saved his life. If that was the case, then it meant that the latter’s sacrifice had far more weight than he had realized while making him far more determined to fulfill the mission his father had given him and do all he could to save his city.

Mia then spoke up once more, revealing something that would leave them all flabbergasted.

_“For the record, there’s something else all of you should know. What happened that terrible night was not an accident and was not fully because of the weather. The Gambit was sabotaged.”_

At first, there was silence, after which was followed by the combined shout of “WHAT?!!”, from Oliver, Sara, Laurel, Quentin, Thea, and Tommy.

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think of the first chapter of this journey, and how I’m doing so far including the characters emotional responses to what they’ve viewed, Mia’s explanation of Robert’s actions, Laurel’s first response towards her sister’s and Oliver’s betrayal, and everything else in general?
> 
> Have a great day.


	5. Meeting Yao Fei

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the next chapter, and in which the viewers will discuss the revelation of the Gambit being sabotaged followed by their reactions to the next set of memories regarding Oliver’s time away.

_Year: 2040_

_Location: Hall Of Justice [Justice League Headquarters]_

_Setting: League Auditorium_

Everyone in attendance sat in stunned silence upon hearing Mia’s revelation while Tommy, the Lances, and the younger Queen siblings worked to absorb the shock of what they had been told.

“Sabotaged!? The _Gambit_ was sabotaged!?” Sara softly exclaimed in surprise though still loud enough for everyone else to hear while Oliver continued to sit there with a stunned look still written upon his face.

“What the hell do you mean the Gambit was sabotaged!?” Quentin growled furiously, demanding an explanation.

 _“Just what I said guys. It was sabotaged. Someone placed a bomb onto it and set it to go off when it sailed into a Category 2 storm, making it look like the storm itself caused its sinking. Something that no one would question. Furthermore, the target of that attack was Robert himself and although he survived that attempt, the objective was still obtained as you saw since it set things in motion which led to his death,”_ Mia calmly explained to him and everyone else.

The look of shock on everyone’s faces then turned to horror after hearing this latest revelation and in regards to Robert, with the exception of Moira who began to feel fearful that the truth behind his death was about to come to light and what it would mean for her relationship with her children.

At this point, Oliver was breathing heavily as his fist clenched in anger, but it was his sister who voiced the question they both, along with almost everyone else, wanted to know.

“But why would anyone want to kill dad? He never did anything to anyone,” Thea asked desperately and with anger and sadness in her voice as tears started to stream down her face once more.

 _“Let’s just say for now that he was mixed up with some dangerous and powerful people but later went against them and so they found him to be a liability that needed to be dealt with. In fact, when he shared with your brother that he was not the only one who failed the city, he was referring to them,”_ William answered, taking over for his sister.

_“Further details will be revealed to all of you within the set of memories you’re watching though not anytime soon. But you’ll all receive your answers eventually. I promise.”_

As much as his explanation provided some answers to this, it also brought forward other questions that the Queen siblings and Lances wanted answers to and even wanted to demand that their hosts explain everything to them immediately, including the identities of these people who masterminded Robert’s death, how he and they had failed the city, and other unanswered questions.

But they realized that demanding those answers would not do them any good and that their hosts probably had a good reason to have them learn information from the memories projected before them rather than just telling them the info outright. And so they all decided to do their best to calm down and be patient though Oliver and the Lances each vowed to look into the matter themselves when they returned. Quentin privately deciding to launch his own investigation into those responsible for almost killing his baby girl and boy would there be hell to pay once he got his hands on them.

As for Oliver, he promised himself that he would hunt down his father’s murderers and show them the monster that Talia had helped him create once he’d found them.

A thought then occurred to both Quentin and Laurel at that moment. While they were still a bit angry at Oliver, for both different reasons and the same reasons, they wondered if they could truly hate him for supposedly almost causing Sara’s death and her being away from them for so long since it turned out that outside forces were ultimately responsible for both of those issues.

In fact, would it be fair to him to hold Sara’s disappearance against him since what had happened was beyond his control? He may have invited her with him on that boat, but he had no idea of knowing that the _Gambit_ was sabotaged. These were thoughts that the father and daughter duo would continue to have for some time as they watched the memories.

Seeing as no one else was saying anything at the moment and that things had more or less settled down, Mia then uploaded the next set of memories and the screen came back on and began playing.

**As the lifeboat washed ashore, Oliver decided to give his father a proper funeral, wrapping his corpse in one of the covers of the lifeboat as he mourned for a moment. Feeling sick, from what he had just been through, Oliver wretched and vomited and coughed out before the seagulls were about to eat on Robert’s corpse before Oliver scared them off.**

Thea sniffled and began weeping once more, turning her head and tucking it against her mother’s shoulder, not wanting to see her father buried and also feeling a little queasy at seeing the seagulls trying to eat on him. Moira held her close and pressed a kiss to her hair while crying with her, blaming herself for this while also silently cursing the one she ultimately held responsible for what had happened to her husband and what her son was forced to go through.

Oliver watched in silence as it caused him to relive this moment all over again. He could even feel himself holding onto his father’s body and carrying it with him in order to give him as a best of a respectable burial as he could, smelling the slight stench from the body as it began the earliest stages of decomposition. His eyes watered with tears at that moment and he started to tremble a bit before he began to use some of the mental exercises taught to him by Tatsu Yamashiro and Talia at that moment in order to maintain his center and keep himself calm.

Quentin could not help but feel sympathy towards the younger man and he knew that he would not wish for either of his daughters to ever have to be in the position to bury his body. At least not like this and under those conditions. And the other parents in the room silently and unknowingly echoed his sentiments.

**Oliver grabbed Robert’s body and put it on the rock hill nearby before he found a notebook in Robert’s pocket that piqued Oliver’s interest as he picked it. Oliver took a look but all the pages were blank, much to Oliver’s confusion before he found a strange insignia on the first page of the notebook.**

**Oliver pocketed the notebook before burying his father under a pile of rocks but then suddenly, he cried out in pain as he was shot from behind into his right shoulder by an arrow.**

Almost everyone nearly jumped out of their seats, startled, while Moira, Thea, Laurel, and Felicity gasped and placed their hands over their mouths, the first three’s hearts beating rapidly in fear for him while the others wondered what on earth had just happened.

**Oliver fell down, leaning onto Robert’s grave, screaming in pain as he turned around to see an archer in green hood in the distance at the shores of Lian Yu as he notched another arrow.**

**The footage continued as Oliver passed out from being shot by an arrow and when he woke up, Oliver saw that he was in a cavern, the arrow still sticking out of his shoulder.**

**Oliver stared at Yao Fei in confusion as the Asian took off his hood as the Asian explained that he shot Oliver to protect him, in Chinese as on the screen were subtitles translating Yao Fei’s Chinese.**

“Why would that think he’s protecting you Ollie by shooting you in the shoulder?” Thea asked her brother, feeling confused and perturbed.

“Yeah man. That doesn’t really make sense to me either. I mean how exactly did you getting an arrow into you keep you safe?” Roy also added, frowning and feeling puzzled by it while wondering if the hooded archer was some sort of nutcase.

“Because there were a lot of dangers on the island, dangers that I was unequipped for and unprepared to face,” Oliver explained. “By shooting and then taking me to the cave, he helped prevent me from running into certain things which would’ve brought great harm towards me.”

“But couldn’t he have done it another way instead of shutting you? If the island was really that dangerous, then why not just walk up to you and introduce himself and then somehow convince you to get to safety?” Felicity also questioned, feeling just as perturbed as Thea did.

“As a veteran myself, and based upon certain movements of his and the way he seems to operate, I’m gonna assume that he’s a soldier of some kind. Perhaps a military veteran of his own country. And what you’ve gotta understand is sometimes us soldiers have to make very difficult decisions on the battlefield in order to survive and not just for yourself but also for your fellow soldiers,” Rene spoke up and answered instead of Oliver.

“Sometimes those decisions are very painful and especially directed towards the ones we’re removing out of harm’s way, but they need to be done in order to prevent something far worse from happening. I’ve had to make those kinds of decisions myself and it goes to show what being a soldier sometimes means,” he added while Diggle, Lyla, and even Quentin nodded in agreement while understanding as fellow veterans where he was coming from. Same with Sara and Nyssa.

The other guests, including Thea, Felicity, and Roy, also nodded in response while having a better understanding of the matter, Roy especially and due to difficult decisions he’d had to make while growing up in the Glades, though the non-combat women still felt that Yao Fei could’ve still somehow done it a bit differently and which Thea also silently grumbled to herself. Though Oliver overheard his sister’s grumbles and smiled.

**Yao Fei handed Oliver a bowl of water and a handful of herbs. Oliver then realized that Yao Fei was trying to feed him as he took a small pinch of herbs into his mouth and choked and coughed at the taste before drinking water from the bowl in Yao Fei’s hand. Yao Fei grabbed the arrow and pulled it out of Oliver’s shoulder as Oliver cried out in vain before he passed out again.**

All of the female audience members, except for Sara, Nyssa, and Lyla, all winced at the scene, imagining how painful that must have been for him while privately thinking that they’d never want to have to go through that experience of something being extracted from their flesh.

**When Oliver came to, Yao Fei was next to him, sleeping. Oliver got up on his feet but his injured shoulder was not making it easy for him as he grinned, trying to ignore the pain before Oliver ran out of the cavern into the forest. Oliver stumbled before getting up as he continued running. Oliver then then stopped, trying to catch his breath as he paced down the forest and as he stopped, Oliver heard some creaking before suddenly, the net covered under the leaves, closed under Oliver, trapping him as he was hanging above the ground.**

“Oh my goodness Oliver. My baby boy,” Moira gasped in shock while Thea squeaked, the former’s heart clenching in pain at seeing her son caught in this precarious position and just some of the dangers Yao Fei and Oliver were talking about. Laurel’s mouth had also dropped open and her hand was upon her chest and Tommy’s eyes were wide while he quickly leaned forward in his chair, both of them feeling deeply concerned for Oliver while wondering how he’d extract himself from this situation.

**Oliver vainly tried to struggle out before he passed out again. As he came to, Oliver gasped to see a blade of a knife a few inches from his face as Yao Fei was standing next to him. Yao Fei cursed Oliver for being a fool in Mandarin that he was wandering alone on the island. Yao Fei cut him loose as Oliver fell down, groaning, while Yao Fei warned him that _they_ would kill him.**

**Oliver heard something as he realized someone was nearing him as Oliver struggled to get up, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. Oliver left as later, men in black military outfit, with guns, were checking the net that someone had cut down before they left.**

Needless to say, everyone was feeling tremendously grateful that Yao Fei had been there to rescue Oliver while the latter’s friends and family shuddered at the thought of what could’ve happened if those men, whoever they were, had gotten ahold of him.

“Um, Ollie? Who exactly were those guys?” Tommy questioned his bff, curious as to what was up with them.

“No one good,” Oliver answered grimly and did not say anything further to which Tommy responded by dropping the matter for now and realizing that based upon the former’s tone, they must’ve been people that he’d never want to run in to.

**Oliver was back in the cavern, staring at the worn photo of Laurel that he had pulled out of his wallet before Yao Fei entered, with a bird in a bamboo cage, putting the cage down as Yao Fei said “Shengcun”, much to Oliver’s confusion, not understanding. Yao Fei repeated “Shengcun” as Oliver was still confused, wondering if Yao Fei was referring to the bird in the cage. Yao Fei again repeated the word, which now frustrated Oliver as he did not understand what Yao Fei wanted. Yao Fei then left the cavern as Oliver stared at the photo of Laurel in his hand, apologizing for cheating on her.**

“You’re really sorry aren’t you Ollie?” Laurel asked him softly, tears starting to fall from her eyes while feeling emotional over the fact that Oliver had continued to carry her picture with him.

“More than anything. I promise,” Oliver answered her with conviction. Laurel nodded in return, feeling a bit closer towards forgiving him though it would be a very significant amount of time before it would come to fruition since she still felt a bit of resentment towards him and also her sister. But that resentment no longer dominated her mind and emotions and her heart was beginning to soften as she viewed his current struggles as he worked to survive what had been currently dealt to him.

**A while later, Yao Fei was cooking a rat on a stick, roasting it above a small fireplace, while Oliver, hungry, took notice. He attempted to take the rat but Yao Fei grabbed Oliver by his hand and threw him down as Oliver yelped, grumbling.**

“Now just a minute!!” Moira spoke out with a bit of anger. “That was most uncalled for and can’t he see that my son is starving?!”

Thea on her part nodded in full agreement with her mother’s words, feeling quite put out with this Yao Fei character over flinging her brother to the side when he just wanted something to eat. And the same went for Laurel, Tommy, and Felicity. Hearing his mother’s words and noticing the expressions on the faces of the other three, Oliver decided to address this.

“I believe what Yao Fei was teaching me at that moment was that I needed to truly understand how hard it would be on the island and that no one was going to give me any freebies but I had to fight for my own survival and as hard as I could, including satisfying my hunger. And so if I wanted to be fed, I needed to step up and do it on my own instead of waiting for handout,” he explained to them all, which mollified them somewhat while Quentin even found himself agreeing with what sounded to be a tough love approach from Yao Fei, wondering if the Queen scion would’ve been a lot less annoying before the island if his parents had taken a similar approach with him.

Moira and Thea still could not help but feeling mildly annoyed though, but decided to let it go.

**Yao Fei pointed at the bird in cage as he made gestures with his hands, again repeating “Shengcun” before Oliver turned to the bird, realizing that Yao Fei was saying that Oliver had to kill the bird, if he wanted to eat, much to Oliver’s dismay.**

**Yao Fei scoffed, as Oliver stared at the bird for a few hours, starving, while Yao Fei was approaching a table and was making ropes. Oliver seemed to be disturbed at the thought that he’d have to kill to survive. Finally accepting that it was the only way he could eat, Oliver opened the cage, grabbing the bird as he looked at the harmless animal in remorse, apologizing for what he was about to do. Oliver looked up, not being able to watch at the sight as he grabbed the bird by his head and he coughed in disgusts he heard the bones crack as he killed the bird with his bare hands.**

_“Poor Oliver,”_ almost all of those watching thought as they observed this heart wrenching yet definable moment in his life while Moira, Thea, and Laurel’s hearts went out to him as they and even Felicity became misty eyed.

**Oliver then roasted the bird above the fire until it was eatable as he had it on a stick and got to eating his meal. While disgusted, Oiler was happy to finally have something to eat after weeks of being on the island before Yao Fei sat across from him, saying “Shengcun” again as Oliver nodded, assuming that Yao Fei was referring to the bird. To Oliver’s surprise, Yao Fei corrected him in English that “Shengcun” actually meant “survive”.**

“Aw come on man. That guy could speak English this whole time? Why didn’t he just say so earlier or even better, start with that?” Tommy voiced a bit loudly, feeling put out on behalf of his friend.

“As I said earlier Tommy, the island was dangerous and it was going to be difficult to survive. And therefore he could not make things easy for me. He purposefully made things difficult for me so that I could be prepared for when far more challenging moments inevitably arose,” Oliver responded to him firmly, hoping that he and everyone else would finally understand why Yao Fei had been a bit hard on him during certain moments.

Tommy sighed and shrugged, understanding where Oliver was coming from while grudgingly accepting that his caretaker felt that he had his friend’s best interests at heart. But it did not mean he had to like it.

**Yao Fei explained that if Oliver wanted to survive on Lian Yu, the bird in his hands would not be the last thing Oliver was going to kill. Then he pulled out a photo of Laurel, advising for Oliver that it would be best to forget about her because staring at the photo of Laurel was going to get him killed.**

For a moment, Laurel found herself a bit annoyed by his words, particularly in regards to her photo getting him killed and especially since she’d given it to him as a source of comfort. But then she decided to stop and let her lawyer side kick in as she carefully analyzed Yao Fei’s advice and realized that as much as her picture was meant to get him through his time away from home, she realized, and as painful as it was to acknowledge and not withstanding her anger over his cheating, that it could end up distracting him and therefore prevent him from being prepared for whatever he’d have to face.

And she could see that, and especially with him getting caught in the net, he needed to be mindful of his surroundings.

She then sighed and reluctantly accepted Yao Fei’s words as being necessary for Oliver in order to ensure the latter’s chances for survival.

She and almost all of the others also shuddered at his words in regards to him having to possibly kill once more and they all wondered how many people Oliver would have to be forced to put down during his time away from them.

**Sometime later, they were outside as Yao Fei shot a rabbit with an arrow, explaining Oliver that it was going to be their dinner. Oliver asked Yao Fei to let him shoot from the bow as Yao Fei offered his bow to him, advising Oliver how to shoot. Yao Fei instructed for Oliver to shoot at a tree nearby, while Oliver notched an arrow and let go of the bowstring. The arrow flied, missing its mark.**

**Yao Fei said something to in Chinese that confused Oliver again before Yao Fei explained that Oliver was going to die badly, much to Oliver’s annoyance.**

All the viewers chuckled at the scene and Yao Fei’s words, including Nyssa, finding themselves amused.

“At least your firing skills improved Ollie,” Sara said to him softly and with a warm smile, which he returned and also with another chuckle of his own.

**Yao Fei ordered Oliver to get the arrow as Oliver sighed, annoyed. Glowering, Oliver handed Yao Fei his bow before going to search for the arrow that he had fired. As he was going deeper into the forest and found the arrow, suddenly, some masked soldiers grabbed Oliver, cuffing him before throwing him into a hole and closing the bamboo grate. Oliver begged for them to let him go as he grabbed the grate before one of them whacked Oliver’s fingers with the butt of his rifle as Oliver screamed in pain.**

“OLIVER!!” three of the women in his life screamed out in horror as his mother and sister, along with Laurel, nearly leapt out of their seats while cupping their mouths in terror. Tommy on his part was holding onto his arm rests tightly, body tense, as his gut clenched painfully. The other attendances seated had strong looks of concern, and fear on some of their faces, as they watched Oliver being taken away and manhandled by those men.

The screen went black once more as it waited for the next set of memories to be uploaded.

 _“Before we continue, I must warn everyone here that what comes next will be very painful to watch and it will be one of most terrible moments of Oliver’s time away. So please be prepared,”_ Mia spoke to her guests, feeling that they should receive a warning about what was to come.

Oliver on his part grimaced, not wanting anyone to see what was about to happen, especially his family, and even wanted to object though he reluctantly accepted that their hosts must’ve been doing all of this for a valid reason. And so he braced himself for what they were all about to witness.

Zoe then uploaded the next set of memories and the screen began to play once more.

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s it for now.
> 
> Regarding Yao Fei, and while I personally cannot remember or am not sure of some of his actions such as shooting Oliver to protect him and having him kill his own food, the explanations I presented seemed to make the most sense to me though I respect if anyone disagrees with my explanations regarding said actions.
> 
> And despite what I’d written about Oliver unleashing the monster onto his father’s killers, I do not believe in any way, shape, or form that he was a monster despite what season 5 tried to pull. I only wrote that because it’s how Talia defined the Hood identity when she helped him forge it Oliver would probably want to bring down the Hood full force upon the ones who caused him and his sister to be bereaved of their father and his mother of her husband.
> 
> If anyone wishes to object of my use of the word ‘monster’ here, please let me know and I’ll remove it.
> 
> As for Oliver’s mental exercises, I don’t know if Talia also gave him training in that but I personally saw it as a possibility while writing this chapter and especially since it makes sense for Talia to also teach him the mental exercises taught by the League to maintain emotional control if she was possibly training him in the ways of the League.
> 
> Have a wonderful day.


	6. Torture and Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is everyone today? This is the chapter in which we’ll see the viewers reactions towards Oliver being tortured for the first time. And so without further ado, here we go.

_Year: 2040_

_Location: Hall Of Justice [Justice League Headquarters]_

_Setting: League Auditorium_

**They ignored Oliver’s pleas before they dragged him down the forest into some kind of a military camp by two soldiers into a tent as Oliver leaned onto a support pole in pain before he noticed a middle-aged blonde man across him at the table as the man offered Oliver to sit down, speaking with a British accent. The man politely apologized for how the soldiers had treated Oliver before introducing himself as Edward Fyers, while he poured himself a glass of soda, that Oliver eyed, missing the sweet taste.**

**Oliver told Fyers, who he was, explaining how he got onto the island and offering Fyers to be paid by his family’s money in exchange for Oliver’s rescue, which intrigued Fyers.**

“Wait a minute. Why on Earth does that guy not seem more interested in Ollie’s offer of money? Isn’t greed usually a major motivation for thugs like him?” Thea enquired confused, the young woman not understanding why money was not always a deciding factor for swaying the bad guys. Though she wondered if she’d been watching too many movies and didn’t have a proper understanding as to how things actually worked.

“It could be because he might be employed by someone else and they’re offering him a far greater, perhaps exorbitant, sum than whatever Oliver or your mother could offer him honey,” Laurel answered and gently explained to her baby sister in all but blood with a shrug.

“I fully agree with the lawyer young one, but I have also met men like him in my travels and one thing you both need to understand is that sometimes the mission is far more important and satisfying than the promise of monetary gain,” Nyssa added coolly as she addressed both women and everyone else, and then continued. “I’m not saying that it’s the case for Fyers and considering that he’s a mercenary from what I’ve heard about him, but I do believe it’s something you must all take into consideration.”

Thea and Laurel did exactly that, understanding where she was coming from though Thea was still upset that offering a lot of money to thugs did not always work and especially for her brother’s sake, while Diggle, Lyla, Quentin, and Rene responded with a nod since as soldiers they’d come across those kinds of people as well, warlords included, during their times with the military and were therefore not surprised by this.

**Fyers then showed a photo from a crate behind him as Oliver took a look, recognizing the man on the photo as Yao Fei but without a beard and shorter hair, wearing People’s Liberation Army uniform as Fyers asked Oliver if he had seen him. Oliver shook his head, denying ever seeing him.**

**Fyers saw right through Oliver as he dropped the photo and warned Oliver to tell the truth but Oliver again denied ever seeing Yao Fei. Fyers warned Oliver that the island he was on, was called Lian Yu, “purgatory” in Mandarin and he could make it look like Hell for Oliver as he got up, cursing Oliver for being a fool for protecting Yao Fei.**

**Fyers then left the tent before Oliver turned around and paled to see another man enter. It was a tall man wearing a black body armor with a belt of grenades across him, half gold, half black balaclava mask, holding an Uzi in his hand and to his back strapped a sword.**

Moira, Laurel, Thea, Tommy, and Felicity all felt cold shivers of fear running up their spines upon seeing the imposing looking man on the screen, having a dreadful feeling in their guts that things were about to take a turn for the worst for Oliver. And even Roy, the hardened street kid that he was, was feeling intimidated.

**The soldiers restrained Oliver to the tent pole as Fyers requested for Oliver to tell where Yao Fei was. Oliver said nothing as Fyers glanced at the masked man, who pulled out his sword and cut into Oliver’s chest as Oliver screamed in pain.**

**The masked man continued to cut below Oliver’s shoulder as his screams continued. The torture continued until Oliver was too weak to endure the pain as he stared down on the ground as Fyers seemed impressed by how much pain by how much pain was Oliver able to endure and did not break, despite the torture.**

Thea was sobbing hard as she turned her head away from the terrible scene and curled up against her mother, shuddering as tears continued to fall from her cheeks. Her mother wrapped her arms around her tightly and cried with her, Moira feeling deeply distressed that her boy had been put through this and wishing that she could’ve somehow taken the pain away.

Laurel was crying heavily as well, seeing her once boyfriend suffering so terribly, while Tommy’s jaw was tense as he felt the urge to try and somehow jump into the screen and strangle the sorry excuse that was torturing his best friend, and especially Fyers himself for ordering it.

Quentin’s jaw clenched as he observed Oliver’s suffering. For so long he’d wished the young Queen would suffer for his actions and yet it appeared that he’d already suffered and in one of the worst ways possible. And no matter how much he’d hated him (or used to?), even he did not wish something like this to have happened to him.

At this moment, all of the fury he’d been holding towards Oliver finally disappeared since Oliver had already experienced real suffering as displayed within these memories. And more importantly but considering that the Gambit was sabotaged, him holding Sara’s disappearance against Oliver was pointless and especially since the latter was just as much a victim as Sara was. That did not mean he’d still be a little angry towards him for breaking his eldest daughter’s heart but no longer would he hate him over it.

Oliver on his part took a deep breath as he found himself reliving those moments and it was only Sara’s hand tightly gripping his own, anchoring him, which kept him from losing himself in those memories. He also took a moment to turn towards his loved ones and catching their eyes, sent them silent reassurances that he was alright and was here with them, which helped comfort them a bit though they were still feeling shaken.

Everyone else, including Nyssa, sent him looks of respect and admiration over how he was not only able to endure the pain but willing to for someone who’d given him protection even though Oliver did not know him.

**Fyers ordered for the masked man to kill Oliver and put him out of his misery.**

**Suddenly, as Fyers was about to leave the tent, a soldier entered, falling down on Fyers before Yao Fei entered, firing an arrow and cutting the restraints around Oliver’s hands as he fell down.**

**Yao Fei fired another arrow at the masked man, who caught it inches away from his left eye and broke it. The masked man pulled out his sword as Yao Fei blocked his strikes with his bow. Yao Fei whacked the masked man in the face with his bow before hitting him in the leg as the masked man kneeled. Yao Fei grabbed the masked man and jumped over his back, flipping him over.**

**Yao Fei then dodged as the masked man attacked again with his sword and blocked his strokes with his bow. They both struggled to land another blow as the masked man did a cartwheel, struggling out of Yao Fei’s grip and Yao Fei blocked the masked Manos strikes before throwing him down.**

**Yao Fei whacked the masked man in the face with his bow, dazing him momentarily before he grabbed Oliver and accompanied him out of the camp back to the cavern safely as Oliver groaned in pain.**

A great portion of the viewers let out soft cheers as they watched Yao Fei rush in to save the day, greatly relieved that Oliver had him in his life, while highly impressed by his advanced moves and combat skills. Roy on his part was wishing he had those moves since it would make his life easier for him since it seemed he was almost always involved in fights with the regular hoodlums who roamed his neighborhood. Though he conceded to himself that it was mostly his fault for getting involved in shady dealings with them so many times in the first place.

Nyssa on her part carefully observed Yao Fei’s skills and recognized them as the same moves taught to those within the League while his particular style was highly similar to that of her sister, Talia. To her it was more than clear that this man had come across her sister and had been one of her many students.

She was still a bit resentful that her older sister had left her to endure her father alone but could not help but feel impressed at how exceptional a teacher Talia was.

**Oliver lied down as Yao Fei commended him on his strength and tenacity. Yao Fei handed Oliver a pouch of herbs, advising him how to survive before he left the cavern, closing the entrance as a boulder fell down and blocked Oliver’s way as he wanted to help but he was too weak to get up on his feet.**

**Later, Oliver was in the cavern, lying on the ground and trying to stay warm as he ripped a page off Robert’s notebook and threw it into the fire. Suddenly, to his surprise, Robert grabbed him by his shoulder.**

Tommy, the Queens, and the Lances, except for Oliver and Sara, all gasped in shock upon seeing Robert and wondered how it was possible, with the soft whimper of “Dad?” being heard from Thea. They wondered how this was possible but then surmised that it was possible Oliver was hallucinating or dreaming. The video then paused at that moment and Conner addressed everyone.

_“I suspect that many of you are probably very confused as to how Robert could be present considering what happened to him. What I’d for you all to know and understand is that many of us and our friends have different beliefs on that subject, beliefs we may disagree on, but we’re open to the fact that anything’s possible._

_“Some of us such as Zoe and William believe that Oliver was dreaming and that it may have been the magnification of the side of him, a side that’s in all of us, that wanted to him to keep going while countering any feelings of doubt, fear, and feeling as though he had no self-worth. And maybe the lingering pain that was radiating front the wounds he sustained from the torture was somehow playing a role in it._

_“On the other hand, some such as Mia and I have learned from our parents about how large the world is and that it’s filled with many unexplained and unbelievable things. And one of those things that we’ve learned about and what a great number of you will go on to learn about is the existence of magic and the supernatural.”_

Connor paused upon hearing the slight gasps of many of the attendants, and then continued.

_“That’s right folks. Magic is thing and not only that but the island Oliver was stranded on was actually a magical nexus. “Therefore, and while we’re not fully committed to it, we do entertain and lean towards the very strong possibility in our opinion that it really was Robert himself, his ghost at least, who appeared to him when his son needed him the most and gave him the encouragement Oliver needed to remain steadfast and strengthen his will to survive._

_“It’s ultimately up to all of you as to whether or not it was Robert himself or if Oliver was dreaming or hallucinating. But please try and be open minded towards all possibilities while respecting each other’s opinions even if you disagree.”_

The attendees absorbed Connor’s words, still surprised and maybe a bit unnerved by the idea of the magic and possibly ghosts existing, but they took them into consideration and made their own conclusions. Some such as Diggle concluding that they were not real ghosts but the side of humans who need encouragement in life. He also knew this from personal experience due to “ghosts” having appeared to him during his time in the military and that it was important to listen to what they had to say.

Others decided that it might’ve very well been Robert’s actual ghost who’d come to be there for his son. Thea especially believed it really was her father and if not for any other reason other than it brought great comfort to her that he was still out there and watching over herself and her brother while she, through this current experience, was getting to see the real him again at least one more time.

Moira also decided to conclude that it was her actual late husband and for more or less the same reasons as her daughter. Especially in regards to the idea of him watching over her and especially with what she was currently being put through.

Roy on his part was 50/50 while Rene found this info about ghosts and magic to be just too much for him and frankly a lot of hogwash. As far as he was concerned, Queen was more than likely hallucinating though he respected if anyone else believed differently.

As for Oliver himself and after all he’d observed during his time away and hearing the words of one of their hosts, he now accepted the possibly that he’d really spoken to his father during that moment but at the end of the day it didn’t matter to him. Whether or not it was his father or a hallucination, his father had appeared to him during one of his most vulnerable moments and provided for him what he’d needed to survive.

Following this, Zoe then resumed the video.

**Oliver got up on his feet, staggering and looking at his father in shock, not understanding. Robert expressed disappointment over Oliver’s a parent inability to survive, despite Robert’s insistence. Robert handed Oliver a revolver, saying that there was one more bullet left in the cylinder as Oliver picked it before Robert told him that his own death would mean nothing if Oliver did die.**

**Oliver pointed out that he was starving and that he was going to die anyway, wanting for his death to be quick, just like Robert’s was. Robert assured him that Oliver was strong enough to survive but Oliver was unable to believe it before he put the gun to his temple…**

**…only for it to click as Oliver realized that he was only hallucinating as he dropped the gun down in frustration. Robert pointed out that Oliver would be betraying Robert, if this was real and Oliver did really kill himself right now, making Robert’s sacrifice worth nothing. Oliver pointed out that he was not as strong as his own father.**

Oliver’s family and closest friends, except for Sara, all stared at the past events in shock and disbelief, horrified that Oliver would even contemplate doing something like this. Sara however gave him a bittersweet smile, understanding due to having gone through a similar journey as he did and therefore the effect of how traumatizing certain events can be overwhelming for some.

Oliver however sensed their emotions over what they’d witnessed and decided to address this with them, turning himself towards them.

“I was at a very terrible place in my life at the moment. I had just lost dad, was stranded on an island with no way to return home, and had just been tortured,” Oliver explained. “And for all I knew, Yao Fei was going to forget me and that cave would soon become my tomb. I thought that it was all over and therefore decided to end things on my own terms rather than continue to suffer.

“I’m not proud of it and I know now that suicide is never the answer but at that time I was not thinking straight and I’m sorry that all of you had to see that.”

His mother, sister, Laurel, Tommy, and even Quentin could only feel sadness and pity for him and especially over him feeling that there seemed to be no other way left for him. Thea in particular was shedding tears over this and her brother’s explanation.

Sara on her part leaned forward towards Oliver.

“It’s alright Ollie. I understand,” she whispered softly in his ear while rubbing his back. Oliver in turn smiled gratefully. The memories then resumed.

**However, Robert pointed out that he was not the man Oliver had thought him to be, trying to explain the things he had done, what he was about to do but Oliver had no idea what his father was talking about. Robert reminded him that he begged Oliver to right his wrongs and that it was his responsibility. Oliver had no idea how to do this, if he was unable to get off the island.**

**Robert laid his hands on Oliver’s shoulders, assuring him that he loved him as Oliver nodded before he woke up, realizing it was all a dream, clearly freaked out by it as he gasped out as he turned to the fire that was dying.**

**Oliver tore out another page off the notebook and was about to throw it into the fire before he noticed that writing was appearing on what he had believed to be a blank page, revealing a list of names, much to Oliver’s surprise as he opened the book and held it above the flames as more writing appeared on the previously blank pages, revealing list of names as Oliver realized that Robert had given this responsibility to him as Oliver vowed to fulfill it.**

A thought occurred to both Sara and Nyssa as they watched the names appear but Nyssa was the first to bring it up.

“If I may Oliver, and I do not know if you had realized this already, but considering the fact that you’ve burned some of the pages of your father’s notebook I believe it’s safe to assume that you clearly have an incomplete list. You may want to keep that in mind whenever you decide to initiate whatever plans you have to honor your father’s wishes with this list,” she said to him and he nodded, having just realized that little tidbit while watching these memories and wishing he’d thought of that sooner.

Moira on her part was feeling a bit angry with her late husband over putting this kind of burden upon their son’s shoulders, wishing that his ghost would appear to her as well so that she could give him a piece of her mind.

Tommy at that moment voiced a question that was on the minds of much of the audience.

“Um, Ollie? What kind of ink was that and how did you manage to get the fire to make it appear? Is that some of the magic Connor told us about?” he asked curiously, wondering how his friend was able to pull off such a neat trick.

“Actually it’s not magic or any kind of special trick buddy, but invisible ink. It’s present on the paper it’s written upon but invisible. But when next to heat the written ink becomes visible,” Oliver explained to him to which Tommy and the others nodded, some of whom like Diggle, Lyla, and Rene were aware of that type of ink and sometimes used it as one of their ways to exchange coded messages with their informants during their time in the military.

**For days, Oliver was in the cavern until he ran out of food and water and was eventually so tired, he fell asleep, leaning onto the cavern wall. Then, the entrance to the cavern opened and the sunlight shunned onto Oliver’s face as he slowly came to. Oliver saw Yao Fei enter, with a dead rabbit and a jug of water in his hands, impressed that Oliver was still alive as he put the rabbit and the jug down. Oliver glared at Yao Fei, angry because he ran out of food and water days ago.**

**Yao Fei went out for a moment as Oliver was about to drink from the jug before he saw Yao Fei drag in dirtied Fyers, with bruises on his face and an arrow sticking out of his knee.**

“Well what do you know? They actually managed to capture that guy. Hopefully they both give him a really good thrashing,” Roy happily said as he watched what just happened while pretty much everyone else, except for Oliver and Sara since the former had already lived through it while the latter knew enough from what Oliver had shared with her, were of like sentiment and hoping that Fyers was about to get his just dues.

Laurel however noticed the grim expression upon Oliver’s face.

“Shall I take it that things did not go so well following this scene”? She asked him with a grimace.

“You have no idea,” he answered which made everyone else feeling apprehensive as they continued to watch the memories being displayed before them, wondering how things were going to go south for Oliver this time.

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regarding Oliver’s dream of Robert, I’m personally willing to believe the possibility that it was actually Robert’s ghost who appeared to Oliver and to advise him when he needed it and considering that magic was integrated into the Arrowverse. But I won’t discount that it might’ve been a hallucination. In my opinion though it’s open to interpretation.
> 
> As for William and Zoe looking at things in a more straightforward way while Mia and Connor are more open to the unexplained, I figure that having them having respective no nonsense grandparents and father caused them to probably be raised in such a way to be skeptics to that whereas Connor and Mia, as the respective children of Diggle and Sara, they may have been brought up to accept the possibility of the supernatural and that there are things out there not easily explained by science considering all the wild stuff their parents experienced in their lives.
> 
> That’s my opinion for this story.
> 
> I’d also like to thank everyone reading this for their tremendous support and encouragement in regards to this fic and for enjoying it so much. And please feel free to check out my newer works if you want, starting with “The Spectre’s Arrowverse Regeneration” and then upwards.
> 
> Have a great day.

**Author's Note:**

> In regards to this particular timeline, and for the purpose of avoiding any complications for myself, the Crisis never happened in this universe and will never happen. That way, I won't be stuck with the issue of the friends wanting to reset the timeline if the timeline was already reset by the merging of worlds and in turn creating a situation in which they're trying to reset a timeline that might not exist for the most part anymore before the Crisis.
> 
> Also, for the first time, I'll be following the example of some of my fellow writers in that I'll use my author's notes to address any potential reviewers here. And I'll also be adapting the same policy for future long stories of mine.
> 
> And now, chapter two.


End file.
